Thousands of Argentines mourning almost 200 young victims of a rock club fire
took to the streets of Buenos Aires on Monday to protest the government's safety
standards, as the city mayor resisted pressure to resign.

Four days ago a blaze and toxic smoke turned the Republica Cromagnon club
into a death trap, claiming 183 lives. Overcrowding and locked emergency exits
magnified the death toll.

Families and friends of the victims, most of whom are teenagers or in their
twenties, have accused the government of turning a blind eye to hazardous clubs
and demanded the resignation of mayor Anibal Ibarra.

The parents of
12-year-old Lucas Perez, a boy killed in the December 30 nightclub fire,
react during a demonstration in Buenos Aires, January 3, 2005. Relatives
and friends held a protest to complain that authorities let the nightclub
operate with locked emergency doors, inflammable soundproofing and
dangerous overcrowding. Three days after a flare ignited the ceiling of
the Cromagnon Republic club during a concert, the death toll rose to 183,
adding to pressure on Buenos Aires City Hall to account for its role in
one of Argentina's worst disasters.
[Reuters]

The anger also spilled over to
President Nestor Kirchner, criticized for his silence in the tragedy while
resting in Patagonia. Kirchner responded on Monday, saying the tragedy was "too
big and too terrible to be adding declarations or exhibitionist gestures."

Thousands of protesters marched from the Cromagnon club to city hall, led by
a row of teenaged boys with tears streaming down their faces and carrying a
banner demanding "justice" for friends who died. Many hung photographs of the
victims around their necks

FATHER WANTS PUNISHMENT

"We're marching for the resignation of Ibarra and jail for all those
responsible, especially the inspectors and the owner of the club," said
Alejandra Figliola, whose 16-year-old son died in the fire.

Many Argentines speculated that the club owner had obtained a license by
bribing officials.

"Here in Argentina, everything is taken care of with a bribe, and then our
children die," Figliola said.

Grieving mothers screamed insults and shook their fists in front of city
hall.

In his defense, Ibarra told reporters the club had provided all the legal
documents needed to obtain a permit in mid-2004, prior to installing the highly
flammable soundproofing material blamed for many of the deaths because of
poisonous fumes.

The fire was set off by a flare fired by a fan into the ceiling, which caused
burning debris to fall onto the crowd, which included small children and babies.
Local newspaper Clarin cited an eyewitness saying that a child sitting on his
father's shoulders had tossed the flare.

Ibarra said many lives would have been spared if the exit doors had been
unlocked.

FOUR TIMES CAPACITY

The club had a permit for 1,100 people, but witnesses have said some 4,000
were packed inside.

Some 266 people injured in the fire remain hospitalized, of which about half
were in critical condition.

Ibarra, 46, has been mayor of the city of about 3 million for five years and
is considered a promoter of the city's entertainment and arts. The greater
metropolitan area is home to 12 million people.

For the third day running, he announced a series of stricter safety rules for
nightclubs and vowed to dismiss any member of his government found to be
negligent. Two city officials have resigned over the incident.

"The drama that Buenos Aires lived through has forced us to put aside the
gradual approach we had used until now and take urgent action," he said at a
news conference.

Analysts said the tragedy would have a political cost.

"Obviously, this is going to affect the Ibarra government's reputation of
efficacy, and it's also going to affect Kirchner quite a bit, since he has said
nothing," said political analyst James Nielson.

The club owner, Omar Chaban, has been detained by police for
questioning.